Pressing machine



31, 1935. H. D T r AL 2,026,083

PRES S ING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 31, 1935. H, D. ELLIOTT ET AL PRESSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 //V l/E/V 747 Dec. 31, 1935. H. D. ELLIVOTT Er AL PRESSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 5- H. D. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,026,033

PRESSING MACHINE Fild Sept. ,5, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 H IH YHHH I I I m V i I I ll tHI T IH IUHT ll llllIIlIlllllllln- DEC. 31, 1935. ELLIOTT ET AL 2,026,083

PRES SING MACHINE Filed Sept. 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 iii Patented Dec. 31, 1935 STATES ATE PRESSING MACHINE- Application September 5, 1933, Serial No. 688,168

40 Claims. (01. 154-1) This invention relates to pressing machines, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for pressing together the parts of a laminated article, such, for example, as a composite shoe upper or part thereof.

Shoe uppers or parts of them are commonly lined, reinforced, or otherwise supplemented by similarly shaped pieces of fabric or other suitable material which after being properly located with respect to each other, that is, placed in register are adhesively united. This operation is commonly performed by applying pressure with or without heat, depending upon the type of adhesive employed, to the parts which are to be thus united after they have been positioned in register with each other.

It is apparent that the application of pressure to the parts to be united must be so efiected as to avoid disturbing their relative position or register. Moreover,a complete and secure attachment of the parts to be united requires the application of pressure thereto to be of appreciable duration, especially if a heat responsive adhesive is used. These considerations control to a great extent the manner of carrying out this operation and also the maximum speed at which it can be performed, and discourage the use of rolls, for example, as a practical pressure applying medium, at least when a heat responsive adhesive is used, owing to the inadequate period of pressure obtained by their use even when they are operated at the slowest economical speed.

With the foregoing in View, an object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for performing a pressing operation of the type referred to above which will satisfy the above requirements and yet be of simple construction.

To this end, the invention provides in a pressing machine, cooperating pressing means, means for imparting to-and-fro movements of the same extent to said pressing means simultaneously, and means for relatively moving said pressing means into and out of pressing engagement with a piece of work disposed therebetween whereby a feed movement is' imparted to the work in one direction of the to-and-fro movement of the pressing means, the operative surfaces of which pressing means have lengths which are greater than the amplitude of their to-and-fro movement, whereby all portions of the work receive a plurality of applications of pressure. By constructing a machine in accordance with the above description, it is apparent that a satisfactory pressing of work can be efiected, which has been obtained heretofore only in an uneconomically whatever for the register of the parts of the work to be disturbed when they are brought together. This operation of the pressing means, which as herein shown comprise a supporting member and a pressing member, is insured by an arrangement, constituting another feature of the invention and devised also with a view toward simplifying the machine structure, which contemplates mounting one of these members on the other. Preferably, and as herein illustrated, the pressing member is mounted on the supporting member so as to slide toward and away from it in a direction which is perpendicular to their operative surfaces. Thus, any tendency for the parts of the work to be relatively displaced out of register owing to the pressure exerted thereupon, is avoided.

Although the pressing action of the illustrated machine can be regulated by varying both the degree of heat of the pressing member and the speed of the feed movement of the work, it is another object of the invention further to improve the operation of the machine in this respect by controlling both the amount of pressure employed and the length of the period during which the pressure is applied to the work with respect to the time during which it is within the field of action of the pressing means.

In accordance with this object, invention is to be recognized in the provision of mechanism for operating the pressing member which mechanism comprises members mounted to have adjr'ustably limited movement relatively to each other, and includes means for yieldingly holding thelast-mentioned members at one extreme of their relative movement. Thus the period during which the pressing member acts to press upon the work corresponds to the time consumed by the relative movement between the yielding members of the operating mechanism and therefore can be varied by controlling the extent of this relative movement. Moreover, the greater the relative movement between the yielding members, the greater is the yielding pressure exerted on the work by the pressing member.

While an operator could present work-pieces between the pressing members of a machine of the type referred to above by hand, the operator is preferably relieved of this duty and, to this end, the machine in which the invention is illustrated as embodied includes, with the above-mentioned pressing means, in accordance with another feature of the invention, a conveyor one run of which extends between the pressing means. Preferably the conveyor is operated at a constant velocity and the pressing means are moved at the same velocity when they are in pressing engagement with a piece of work, so that any tendency for the different parts of the work to be moved at different rates, and hence to be relatively displaced, is avoided.

The illustrated machine is adapted for uniting shoe parts, the adhesion of which is obtained by the use of heat-responsive or thermoplastic cements. To this end, the pressing member above the conveyor is provided with an electric heating unit which maintains this pressing member at a sufficiently high temperature to cause the adhesive on the parts engaged by the pressing member to be fused when pressure is intermittently applied thereto, as in the normal operation of the machine.

As the heat of the pressing member, if applied continuously either to the conveyor belt or the work, would scorch or burn it, the necessity for preventing such damage is apparent. Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide means for so controlling the action of the pressing member that it will not be in contact with, or even close to, the conveyor belt when the machine is stopped.

To this end, thereis associated with the mechanism for operating the pressing member, means, constituting another feature of the invention, which is constructed and arranged to limit the movement of the pressing member operating mechanism so as to hold the presser member spaced from the supporting member and hence from the conveyor. This means, in the illustrated machine, comprises a latch which is operator controlled and is allowed to become effective when the power is turned off to stop the machine.

These and other features of the invention will appear more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine in which the invention is illustrated as embodied, parts of the frame of the machine and the guards being broken away to expose the operating parts;

Fig. 2 is a front elevationwith parts of the machine broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine from which parts of the conveyor system have been broken away;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the operating parts of the machine as seen from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the action of the machine on a work-piece, the section being taken along a plane extending in the direction of feed movement at substantially the middle of themachine; and

Fig. 6 illustrates one example of work upon which the illustrated machine is adapted to operate.

The illustrated machine is provided with means for applying pressure to parts of laminated sheet material having cement between them'to effect their adhesion which, as illustrated herein, comprises a supporting member H] which is mounted to have to-and-fro swinging movement and a pressing member l2 which is carried by the supporting member and hence partakes of its toand-fro movement, and which also is mounted for movement toward and away from the supporting member to exert pressure upon a workpiece disposed therebetween. Operating mechanism is provided for moving the pressing member I 2 toward and away from the supporting member IS in synchronism with the to-and-fro movements of the latter whereby a feed movement is imparted to it at the same time that pressure is exerted against it. Work-pieces are carried between the supporting and pressing members at a uniform velocity equal to that of the feed movement of the supporting and pressing members on an endless conveyor belt 14 to which work-pieces are presented by a conveyor composed of a number of endless belts I6 and from which the workpieces, after having been operated upon, are removed by another conveyor system consisting of continuously operated endless belts l8 and 20 which are arranged to deliver the work-pieces into a receptacle 22 at the top of the machine.

The conveyor I4, consisting of an endless belt of fabric or other suitable material, extends widthwise of the machine somewhat in excess of the width of the supporting and pressing members IE3 and I2, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The conveyor belt I 4 is supported at one end on a roll 25 which is rotatably supported on stub shafts 26 which are rotatably mounted in arms 28, one of which extends from each side of a bracket 30 secured to the front of the machine frame 32. The conveyor I4 is supported at the rear portion of the machine on a roll 34 which is rotatably mounted on arms 36 the latter being supported at opposite sides of the roll on a rod 38 which is mounted in lugs ("0 extending upwardly from the base of the frame 32. Each of the arms 36 has a downwardly extending lug 42 which coacts.

with adjusting screws 45 by means of which the position of the roll 34 toward and away from the roll 24, and hence the tightness of the conveyor belt 5 3, can be adjusted. While the roll 34 rotates idly, the roll 24 is constantly driven, as will now be described. Power is delivered to the machine from any suitable source, such as an electric motor, to a pulley 46 rotatably mounted on a shaft 43 firmly secured in a support 50 extending upwardly from the machine frame 32. A pinion 52 is mounted to turn with the pulley 46 on the shaft 48 and meshes with a gear 5d having a stub shaft which is rotatably carried in a bearing 53. Driving connection between the conveyor belt H3 and the gear 54 is provided by a gear train comprising a gear 58 carried by the gear 54, a gear 60 rotatably mounted on the rearwardly extending portion of a support 62 which is secured to the front portion of the frame 32, and a gear 64 which is mounted on the stub shaft 26 at the right-hand side of the machine. It is therefore apparent that the conveyor belt is operated continuously so long as the pulley 48 is rotated.

The supporting member If! is pivotally mounted near its forward edge on arms 66, 66 which are disposed at opposite sides of the supporting member Id and are mounted at their lower ends on a rod 68 supported in upstanding lugs 16. The supporting member I8 is similarly mounted at its rear end on arms '32 which are pivoted to the supporting member at their upper ends and are keyed at their lower ends to a shaft I4 rotatably supported in lugs I6 extending upwardly from the machine frame 32. The distance between the pivotal connection of the links 66 and I2 with the supporting member I0 is equal to the distance between the centers of the rods 68 and I'd; also, the distance between the pivotal connection of the arms 66 with the supporting member I0 and'the rod 68 is equal to the corresponding distance along the arms I2. Thus, since the supporting member I0 is so mounted that its upper surface is always parallel to the conveyor belt Id, and in view of the fact that the to-and-fro movement of the presser member ID is relatively slight, its entire upper surface remains substantially in juxtaposition to or in contact with the lower side of the belt I4 at all times. The to-and-fro swinging movement of the supporting member ID referred to above is imparted thereto by a crank I8 which is keyed to the right-hand end of the rod I4 (Fig. 3), which crank carries a cam roll 80 which is received within a cam track 82 cut in the inner side of the gear 54 in such a way as to cause the supporting member I i to be moved alternately in the direction of movement of the adjacent run of the conveyor I4 at the same speed, and then oppositely thereto.

The pressing member I2 has a work-engaging surface adjacent to the upper run of the conveyor I l corresponding in sizeto that of the supporting member I0 and is mounted for movement toward and away from the supporting member in such a way that the cooperating surfaces of the presser member and supporting member are always parallel. As a result of this construction and arrangement, it is apparent that a work-piece disposed between the pressing and supporting members will receive a. uniform amount of pressure over the entire area which is between them. The mounting for the pressing member comprises slides 84 one of which is secured to each side of the pressing member I2 by means of set screws 86 and bolts 08 which may be adjusted to vary the position of the pressing member I2 heightwise of the slide 84. The set screws 86 are threaded in the upper portion of the slide 84 and are adapted to bear on the top of the supporting member I2. The bolts 88 pass through the top of the slide 84 and through the lowermost portions of arms 90 extending outwardly and upwardly from the pressing member I2 and are provided with nuts 92 which can be tightened against the arms 90 to hold the presser member in abutting relation with the set screws 8'6.- The lower portions of the slides 84 are received within slideways 94 which are provided at the opposite sides of the supporting member I0 and which extend substantially perpendicular to the cooperating surfaces ofthe supporting and pressing members I!) and I2.

As referred to above, the pressing member I2 is moved into juxtaposition to the upper run of the conveyor It as soon as the supporting mem- .ber ID has begun to move at the same velocity as that of the conveyor belt in the direction of its feed movement The pressing member I2 is also so operated as to exert a yielding pressure against a work-piece between it and the supporting member I0 until the latter is about to begin its retrograde movement, from which time the pressing member I2 is elevated until it repeats the pressing action referred to above. Thus, the supporting and pressing members cooperate to exert a pressure on the work-piece disposed therebetween as they are moved in the direction of feed and are separated during their retrograde movement. The movement of the pressing member I2 toward and away from the supporting member is effected in synchronism with the movement of the supporting member I0 by mechanism which will now be described. Pivotally connected to the mid portions of the slides 84 are links 96 the lower ends of which are also pivotally connected to cranks 98, I00 which are fixed to a rock shaft I02 which is rotatably mounted in bearings I04 extending upwardly from the machine frame 32. The right-hand crank I00 is provided with aforwardly extending lug I06 into which is threaded a set screw I08 the upper end of which is adapted to bear against an arm H0 of a bell crank mounted on the rock shaft I 02 and the other arm H2 of which carries a cam roll H4 which is received in a cam track II6 (Fig. 4) in the outer side of the gear 54. The set screw I08 is yieldingly held in engagement with the arm H0 by a strong spring H8 the ends of which are connected respectively to the arm H0 and the lug I06. Owing to the use of the spring I I8 as above described, it is apparent that the pressing member I2 is operated yieldingly to press upon the work; but, owing to the positive connection between the set screw I08 and the arm H0, the pressing member I2 is positively lifted from the work. By adjusting the set screw I08 so as to increase or decrease the angle between the lug I06 and the arm N0, the tensionon the spring H8, and hence the pressure of the pressing member I2 against the work, is increased or diminished respectively. It will be apparent, moreover, from an inspection of Figs. 1 or 5, that as the angle between the lug I06 and the arm I I0 is increased the clearance between the pressing member I2 and the conveyor belt I4 is diminished. An adjustment of this type, therefore, would result in the lengthening of the period when the pressing member is in engagement with the work as the pressing member would engage the work earlier and move away from it later than would be the case before the adjustment was made. The cam track H6 is so shaped as to cause the pressing member I2 to be operated by the above-described mechanism relatively toward and away from the pressing member I0 and is so positioned with reference to the cam track 82 as to cause a movement of the presser member I2 toward the supporting member I0 as the latter begins its feed movement, and also to move the pressing member I2 away from the supporting member III as the feed movement of the latter is completed.

The above-mentioned movements of the supporting and pressing members I0 and I2 and the conveyor I4 continue as long as the pulley 46 is rotated. However, when it is desired to stop the machine, the means for operating the pulley 46, herein illustrated as a belt I20, is shifted on to a pulley I22 which is mounted to rotate idly on the shaft 08 and is prevented from sliding off the shaft by means of a collar I24. The means for thus controlling the belt I comprises a shifter I26 carried by a link I28 which is given a parallel movement by parallel levers I30 and I32 which are pivotally connected to the link I28 and are rotatably mounted adjacent to the machine frame in a bearing I 34. Operatively connected to the lever E32 is a crank I36 the upper end of which is bifurcated to receive a crank pin I38 which extends from the rearmost end of a control shaft I40, the latter being rotatably mounted in the upper portion of the bearing 56. It will now be apparent that by gripping a knob I42 on the shaft I66 and turning it in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3) the shifter I26 and. hence the belt I28 can be moved from the loose idling pulley I22 to the driving pulley 46, thereby to start the machine. A pin I4 3 fixed to the shaft I II! adjacent to the bearing 56 is arranged to coact with pins I46 fixed in the bearing 56 in order to limit the movement of the shifter I26 at either the driving or idlingposition.

Both for the convenience of the operator and to insure against the work or the conveyor belt or both being injured as a result'of the machine being left unintentionally with the electric power of the heating attachment for the pressing member, which will be later described, turned on, there is associated with the starting and stopping device referred to above mechanism which will now 'bedescribed for insuring that the pressing member I2 will always be held at its uppermost position when the belt I28 is moved on to the idling pulley I22. The mechanism for efiecting this result is operated by a cam I48 which is fixed to the shaft I45 and is arranged to engage the upper arm I59 of a bell crank pivoted on the bearing 55 on a screw I52. The other arm I5 i of this bell crank is provided with a'hook I56 which is moved in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) when the cam M8 engages with the arm I55. The bell crank is also normally urged in a counterclockwise direction by means of a spring I58 which is connected to an extension of the arm I53 and a pin I65 fixed in the bearing As the pressing member I2 approaches the uppermost position of its movement, the rock shaft I82,

which carries a lever I52 at its extreme right end adjacent to the bearing I9 3, is rocked so as to cause the lowermost surface I84 of the end of the lever I52 to be moved somewhat above the hooked end I58 of the bell crank I54. If the machine is being operated, the arm Ii i is held out of the path of movement of the lever I62 by the cam M8 which bears against the arm I50, but when the knob I52 is turned to stop the machine the cam I58 is moved away from the arm I59 of the bell crank and allows the spring I58 to cause the hooked end I55 of the bell crank to be urged within the path of movement of the lever I82. As soon as the lever IE2 in this case is moved substantially to the extreme upper position, which corresponds to the upper position of the presser member I2, the hooked end I56 of the bell crank arm iii-'3 swings beneath the lever I62, thereby preventing it from moving downwardly again until the machine is next started. There is sufficient momentum in the rotating parts of the machine, including the pulley I45 and the gear E i, to cause the above-mentioned locking of the pressing member in its upper position to occur no matter in what partof the cycle the power is turned off, and such momentum-in excess of that required to operate the machine up to the above-defined point is spent, after the pressing member I2 has been locked in its uppermost position, in tensi'oning the spring I58 which immediately re-establishes an abutting relation between the arm IE6 and the set screw When the moplastic adhesive is employed, heat as well as pressure is required to efiect satisfactory union of the parts. In this case, electrical power is snppiied to a resistance heating unit,not shown but encased within the pressing member I2, through connections comprising leads I65,

I68 which terminate at their upper ends at elongated plates I'IO and I12, respectively, the plates being mounted on a piece of insulation I I4 which is carried by a bracket I'III mounted on the machine frame 32. Contact pieces I18 and I are arranged to engage the plates I10 and H2, respectively, and are resiliently urged thereagainst while being supported in pieces of insulation I82 and I84, respectively, mounted in the upper portions of arms 98. The contact pieces I18 and I89 are connected to the terminals on the electrical resistance unit by means of leads I86 and I88, respectively. The plates I 70 and H2 are large enough, both in height and length, to provide a bearing surface for the contact pieces I18 and I notwithstanding their heightwise and toand-fro movements whereby an uninterrupted flow of electric power to the heating unit is insured. The leads I66, I68 terminate at their lower ends in a switch 598 which is operated by an adjustable plunger I92 to turn the power on and off as the plunger I92 is lowered and raised, respectively. The plunger I 92 is mounted to slide vertically in bearings I94 extending outwardly from the bracket I "I6 and is actuated by a lug I96 formed on a cover I58 which is hinged at 200 to a bracket 252 fixed to the rear portion of the frame 32. It is thus apparent that whenever the cover is swung upwardly, as for the purpose of inspecting or adjusting the machine, the electric power is automatically turned off. The cover is held in its closed position by a screw 204 at the front of the machine.

While work-pieces to be operated upon could be placed upon the conveyor belt I4 by hand or with the assistance of mechanism other than that disclosed herein, another endless conveyor belt arrangement is preferably used. This last-mentioned conveyor, as herein illustrated, comprises a plurality of endless belts I6 which are driven from a shaft 255 rotatably mounted at one end in the support 52 and at the other end in the racket 35!. The shaft 206 has formed integral therewith a pulley for each of the belts I6 and is driven by a gear 2538 from another gear 2I0 (Figs. 2 and 5) which is mounted on a rotating shaft 2E2, which shaft is driven by a gear 2I4 meshing with the gear 54 which drives the conveyor I I. The belts it are supported at the forward portion of the machine on pulleys carried by a shaft 2I5 rotatably mounted in the bracket 35. While the belts I 6 are continuously rotated by the gear'train above described so long as the machine is operating, they may be rendered inefiective to feed work-pieces toward the conveyor when, for example, it is desired to place in register a plurality of parts which are to be. pressed together. To this end the illustrated construction includes a table 2I8 which is arranged to move vertically in the bracket 35 and is normally yieldingiy held in a position such that its upper surface is above that of the belts I6, as illustrated in Fig. 4, by means of a spring 220 which surrounds a shank 222 extending downwardly from the table 5H8. The table 2I8 is provided with a series of slots'the position and size of which are such as to allow the belts to protrude above the table when the latter is lowered below the belts. It is now apparent that when the table is in its uppermost position the operator can relatively position the parts of the work-piece which are to be pressed together, such for example as the vamp piece and lining 225 thereof (Fig. 6), as upon a fixed bench or work table. Then, by lowering the table 2H8 after the pieces thereon have been thus registered, they will be carried by the belts I6 to the conveyor I4, their relative position being undisturbed, and then between the supporting and pressing members I0 and I2. The uppermost position of the table 2I8 is controlled by adjusting nuts 228 which are adapted to abut against the bracket 3%, and the alinement of the slots in the table 2I8 with the belts I6 is maintained by a stud 230 fixed to the lower side of the table 2i8 and which is received in a hole formed in the bracket 32. The lowering of the table ZIS is facilitated in the illustrated machine by the use of a lever 232 which is fulcrumed on the bracket at 234 and is connected by means of a stud 236 to the lower end of the shank 222. The lever 232 is operated by a treadle rod 238 and a treadle 220 (Fig. 3) which is mounted on the floor in the customary manner.

After the work, having been pressed, emerges from between the supporting and pressing members ID and I2, it is carried by the conveyor Id under an idly rotating roll 242 having pintles 244 which are received between bifurcations in the upper ends of the arms 36. The work, upon passing beyond the roll 242 and the conveyor I4, is carried upwardly and rearwardly of the machine between the adjacent runs of the belts I8 and 20 and is deposited in the receptacle 22. The belts I8 and 20 are supported by various rollers and pulleys, to be described below, which are supported directly or indirectly upon frames 246, forwardly extending portions of which are secured by screws 253 to the upper part of the cover I98. The lowermost portions of the frames 2 56 and the cover 98 are pivoted on a rod 200. The belts I8 travel around a roll 25!! having pintles which are received between the sides of U-shaped memhere 252 carried by the bracket 202 at such a height as to prevent the work-pieces as they leave the conveyor from dropping below the roll 34. Set screws 255 are provided as adjustable abutments for the pintles on the roll 25!! for the purpose of adjusting the position of the roll with respect ,to the conveyor I4.

The belts 29 at their lowermost portions run over rolls 255 which are arranged to rotate freely on a rod 258 extending between the side frames 246 and mounted therein in such a position as to cause the adjacent runs of the belts I8 and 26 to be held substantially in contact. The sections of the belts throughout which the work is gripped and carried upwardly from the conveyor I4 are shaped arcuately by a curved plate 26!! which extends substantially completely across the back of the machine between curved portions 262 of the side frames 226 and which is secured to each side frame by screws 26d. Portions of the lower end of the plate 262 are bent around the rod 258 adjacent to the side frames 246 thereby to support the plate. The upper portion of the plate 260 is riveted to two brackets 266, one of which is fixed to a support 268 fixedly mounted on the uppermost portion of each side frame 246. The uppermost portions of the belts 20 run over a roll 210 which is carried by a shaft 2'72 rotatably mounted in the upper extremity of the supports 268. The belts 29 are held taut by tightening devices each of which consists of a roll 214 which is mounted to rotate between the arms of a yoke 216, which yoke is also mounted to pivot on a rod 218 which is supported at each side of the machine by an arm 286. The arms 280 are mounted for adjustment at their upper ends toward and away from the plate 262 on bolts 282 which extend through slots 284 in the side frames 2 36 and the lower ends of the arms 280 are connected by a rod 286, between which and the tops of the yokes 216 extend springs 281 which tend to swing the rolls 214 so as to tighten the belts 20, as indicated in Fig. 1. The upper portion of the belt I8 is supported by a roll 288 carried by a shaft 290 which is rotatably mounted in and extends between plates 292 which are adjustably mounted on the rod 222 and which may be clamped in any desired position with respect to the supports 268 by clamp screws 29% which are received within arcuate slots 296 in the supports 266. Tightening of the belts I 8 is effected not only by making the above-mentioned adjustment of the plates 292 but also by distinct tightening devices, each of which comprises a roll 298 mounted on a yoke 320 which is rotatably mounted in a frame 362, the frame being supported in the side frames 246 for adjustment toward and. away from the plate 260. Springs 324 which connect the yokes 366 with the frame 302 urge the rolls 298- rearwardly of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 1, so as to tighten the belts I8. The adjacent runs of the belts I8 and 20, which convey work-pieces from the conveyor I4 to the receptacle 22, are driven at the same velocity owing to the provi-: sion of meshing gears 306 and 368 of the same diameter which are fixed to the shafts 290 and 2l'2 respectively, the latter shaft being rotated so as to cause the belts I8 and 20 to have the same speed as that of the conveyor It by a pulley 3 I 9 which may be driven by any desirable means, such as a belt 3I2.

In the operation of the machine, the operator, after turning the knob I42 so as to shift the belt on to the driving pulley 46 and also after having allowed the pressing member I2 to be brought to the desired temperature, will place in register pieces of material which are to be adhesively united to form a composite shoe part such, for example, as the vamp illustrated in Fig. 6, comprising a leather vamp piece 224 and the lining 226 therefor. This operation is facilitated in the present machine by the use of the table 2 I 8 which,- at this time, is elevated above the moving convey or belts I6. As soon as the vamp piece 224 and the lining 226 have been placed in register, the lining piece uppermost with its adhesively coated side in contactwith the vamp piece, the table 2 I8 is lowered by depressing the treadle 240, allowing the belts I6 to support the work and to carry it toward and on to the conveyor I4. Owing to the facts that the belts I 6 engage the work at a number of points crosswise thereof and that the conveyor belt I I runs at the same speed as that of the belts I 6, the movement of the work toward the pressing members does not disturb the register of the parts of the work. As the work passes underneath the pressing member, it is pressed across its entire width simultaneously but in successive steps in the direction of movement of the conveyor belt I4, the length of each step being equal to the distance through which the work moves while the pressing member I2 is in pressing engagement therewith. It is'apparent, therefore, that pressure is applied intermittently to the work a number of times. Insurance against disturbing the register of the vamp piece and lining as they are being pressed is afforded by so relating the move at the same rate when pressure is applied to the work. As more fully explained above, the pressing action can be varied in accordance with the type of adhesive substance: or shoe parts employed by varying the temperature of the pressing member l2, by adjusting the screw 38, thereby to control the pressure which the pressing member exerts upon the work and also the length of the period during which such pressure is exerted and, of course, by controlling, if desirable or necessary, the speed of the driving pulley 46. The work-pieces, upon leaving the field of action of the pressing member l2, pass underneath the roll 242 and, still carried by the conveyor [4, move toward the rear of the machine on to the belts l8, which then carry the work-pieces upwardly into contact with the belts 22!. From this point on, the belts l8 and 28 cooperate to carry the work between them upwardly and to discharge it between the rolls 2!!! and 288, from which it drops into the receptacle 22.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing means mounted for movement relatively to each other in a direction perpendicular to their operative surfaces, means for imparting to-and-fro movements to said pressing means simultaneously, and means for relatively moving said pressing means into and out of pressing engagement with a piece of work disposed therebetween whereby a feed movement is imparted to the work in one direction of the to-and-fro movement of the said pressing means, the operative surfaces of said pressing means having a length which is greater than the amplitude of their to-and-fro movement whereby all portions of the work receive a plurality of applications of pressure.

2. In a pressing machine, cooperating means for pressing the parts of laminated material together comprising a supporting member and a pressing member, means for imparting to and fro movement to said supporting member, said pressing member being mounted on said supporting member for movement 7 toward and away therefrom in a direction perpendicular to the operative surfaces of said members, and means for moving said pressing member into and out of pressing engagement with a piece of the material disposed between said members whereby a feed movement is imparted to the material in one direction of the to-and-fro movement of the pressing members, the length of the operative surfaces of said pressing members in the direction of the feed movement being substantially greater than the amplitude of their to-and-fro movement whereby all portions of the material receive a plurality of applications of pressure.

3. In a pressing machine, cooperating means for pressing the parts of laminated material together comprising a supporting member and a pressing member, said supporting member being mounted to have a swinging movement, said pressing member being mounted on said supporting member for sliding movement toward and away therefrom, and means for moving said pressing member intermittently into and out of pressing engagement with material on said supporting member whereby a feed movement is imparted to the material in one direction of its swinging movement, the extent of the operative surfaces of said supporting and pressing members in direction of feed being substantially greater than the amplitude of their swinging movement whereby all portions of the material receive a plurality of applications of pressure.

4. In a pressing machine, cooperating pressing means, a conveyor one run of which extends between said pressing means, means for moving said conveyor at a constant velocity, means for successively moving said pressing means in parallel directions in the direction of movement of said conveyor and then oppositely thereto, and means for moving said pressing means into and 10 out of engagement with said conveyor and a workpiece thereon in synchronism with the movement of the pressing means in the direction of and oppositely to the movement of the conveyor, the work-engaging surfaces of said pressing means having a length which is substantially greater than the amplitude of their movement with respect to the conveyor whereby all portions of the work receive a plurality of applications of pressure.

5. In a pressing machine, means for pressing parts of laminated material together comprising a supporting member and a pressing member, a conveyor belt having a straight run extending between said members and adjacent to said supporting member, a mounting for said supporting member constructed and arranged to allow it to move in parallelism with said run, said pressing member being mounted on said supporting memher for movement toward and away therefrom and perpendicular to said run, means for moving said members and said conveyor in the same direction and at the same speed and then to move the members inthe opposite direction, and means for moving'the pressing member into and out of pressing engagement with material on said run at the beginning. and end respectively of the period when said run and members are moving in the same direction, the length of the work-engaging surfaces of said members being substantially 40' greater than the amplitude of their swinging movement whereby all portions of the material receive a plurality of applications of pressure.

6. In a machine for pressing parts of laminated material together, cooperating pressing members mounted to have sliding movement relatively toward and away from each other, means actingrupon one of said members to cause a feed movement to be imparted to material disposed therebetween, and means for relatively moving said members toward each other into pressing engagement with the material between them and then away from each other.

'7. In a machine for pressing the parts of laminated material together, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted to slide on said supporting member toward and away therefrom, means for acting upon said pressing member to cause it to press material disposed between it and said supporting member, and means for operating said supporting member to impart a feed movement to the said material.

8. In a machine for pressing parts of laminated material together, a supporting member and a pressing member mounted on said supporting member to slide in a direction perpendicular to its supporting surface, said supporting member being mounted for movement substantially in the direction of its supporting surface to impart a feed movement to material disposed between said members, and means acting upon said pressing member to cause it to be moved alternately into and out of engagement with the material between it and the supporting member.

9. In a machine for pressing the parts of laminated material together, cooperating members mounted-to have driving engagement with each other, operating means connected to one of said members for causing a feed movement to be imparted to material disposed. therebetween, said members also being mounted. for relative movement toward and away from each other and being relatively positioned so that their operative surfaces are parallel throughout their movement relatively to each other, and means for operat-' ing said members toward and away from each other.

10. In a machine for pressing a work-piece comprising parts of laminated material together, a supporting member, a pressing member carried by said supporting member and mounted for movement into and out of pressing engagement with. a work-piece thereon, means acting upon said supporting member to cause a feed move-= ment to be imparted to material disposed between it and said pressing member, said pressing member being positioned relatively to said supporting member so that their operative surfaces are parallel throughout their movement relatively to each other, and means for operating said members simultaneously to press and impart a feed movement to the material.

11. In a machine for pressing the parts of laminated material together, cooperating members one of which is mounted on the other and arranged for movement relatively toward and away from the other, means for relatively positioning said members so that their operative surfaces are always parallel to each other, and means for simultaneously imparting movement to each of said members substantially in the direc tion of their operative surfaces in order to impart a feed movement to the material.

12. In a pressing machine, cooperating means for pressing parts of laminated material together comprising a supporting member and a pressing member, said members being mounted for relative sliding movement toward and away from each other to press material disposed therebetween, said members also being mounted to swing simultaneously in the same direction in order to impart a feed movement to the material, and means for operating said supporting and pressing members simultaneously to press and impart a feed movement to the material.

13. In a pressing machine, a supporting mem ber and a pressing member mounted on said supporting member, said supporting member being mounted to have to-and-fro parallel movement, and means operating in synchro-nis-m with the toand-fro movement of said supporting member constructed and arranged alternately to move said pressing member toward the supporting member: to press material disposed therebetwee and then away from said supporting member.

14. In a pressing machine, cooperating means for pressing parts of laminated material together comprising a supporting member and a pressing member, said supporting member being mounted to have to-and-fro parallel movement, said pressing member being mounted on said supporting member for movement toward and away therefrom, and means for operating said pressing member toward and away from the supporting member in synchronism with their to-and-fro movement.

15. In a pressing machine, cooperating members for pressing parts of laminated material together one of which is mounted on the other and is arranged to slide toward and away therefrom, means for imparting a to-and-fro movement to said other member to cause a feed movement to be imparted to material disposed between said members, and means for moving said members toward and away from each other in synchronism with their to-and-iro movement.

16. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted to slide on said supporting member toward and away therefrom to press material disposed therebetween, means for operating said supporting member intermittently to impart a feed movement to the material, and means for moving said pressing mem ber toward and away from said supporting member at the beginning and end of said feed movement respectively.

17. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, parallel links pivotally connected to said supporting member, means for oscillating said links thereby to cause the supporting member to be swung with a parallel movement, a pressing member mounted for movement toward and away from said supporting member, and means for successively moving said pressing member into pressing engagement with a work-piece on said supporting member and then away therefrom.

18. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, parallel links pivotally connected to said supporting member, means for oscillating said member to and fro on said links, a pressing member carried by said supporting member and mounted for movement toward and away therefrom, and cam-operated means for moving said pressing member into and out of pressing engagement with a piece of work on said supporting member at the beginning and end respectively of one of its movements.

19. In a pressing machine, a supporting member having a slideway, said member being pivotally mounted on swinging parallel links, means for oscillating said links whereby a to-and-fro movement is imparted to said supporting member, a pressing member mounted in the slideway of said supporting member, and means for operating said pressing member toward and away from said supporting member in synchronism with its to-and-fro movement.

20. In a pressing machine, a supporting member having a slideway, a pressing member mounted for movement toward and away from said supporting member in its said slideway, said supporting and pressing members having cooperating work engaging surfaces disposed perpendicularly to said slideway, means for moving said supporting member to impart a feed movement to a work-piece thereon, and means for operating said pressing member toward and away from said supporting member at. the beginning and end respectively or" said feed movement.

21. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted to slide on said supporting member toward and away therefrom, means for operating said pressing member com prising members mounted for adjustably limited movementrelatively to each other, and means for yieldingly holding said last-mentioned members in engagement whereby said pressing memher is successively moved yieldingly and positively with respect to said supporting member.

22. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted for movement toward and away from said supporting member, means for operating said pressing member comprising an oscillating member, and connections between said oscillating member and said pressing member constructed and arranged yieldingly to move said pressing member into pressing engagement with a work-piece on said supporting member and positively to retract said pressing member therefrom.

23. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted on said supporting member for movement toward and away therefrom, means for operating said pressing member included an oscillating lever and connections between said lever and said pressing member, said lever and connections being in abutting relation when said pressing member is moved away from said supporting member, and a spring disposed between said lever and connections whereby said pressing member is yieldingly moved toward said supporting member.

24. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted on said supporting member for movement toward and away therefrom, a lever and link for operating said pressing member, an oscillating member acting upon said lever when moved toward the latter positively to cause said pressing member to be moved away from said supporting member, and a spring connecting said oscillating member and said lever whereby said pressing member is yieldingly moved toward said supporting member.

25. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted for movement toward and away from said supporting member, operatively connected mechanisms for operating said pressing member, means for controlling the application of power to one of said mechanisms, and means operated by the last-mentioned means and cooperating with the other of said mechanisms for holding said pressing member spaced from said supporting member when the power is disconnected.

26. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted on said supporting member for movement toward and away therefrom, means for operating said pressing member comprising yieldingly connected rock levers, a latch for limiting the movement of one of said levers whereby the pressing member is held spaced from said supporting member, and operator-controlled means for actuating said latch.

27. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member mounted to slide toward and away from said supporting member, yieldingly connected mechanisms for operating said pressing member one of which is arranged positively to actuate said pressing member, and means for limiting the movement of said lastmentioned mechanism thereby to hold said presser member in spaced relation with respect to said supporting member.

28. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member carried by said supporting member, means for operating said pressing member toward and away from said supporting member comprising oscillating connections mounted to have limited rotative movement relatively to each other, means for yieldingly resisting relative rotative movement between said connections, and an operator-controlled latch arranged to cooperate with said connections to prevent said pressing member from being moved toward said supporting member.

29. In a pressing machine, in combination, cooperating pressing members, means for imparting to-and-fro movements to said members,

means for presenting a work-piece between said members mounted for movement in substantially the direction of one of their to-and-fro' movements and at the same speed, and means for holding said members in pressing engagement with a work-piece disposed therebetween when they are moved in the direction of movement of said presenting means and for holding said members apart when they are moved oppositely to the movement of said presenting means .30. In a pressing machine, in combination, a supporting member, a pressing member, conveying means constructed and arranged to present a work-piece between said supporting and pressing members, means for operating said conveying means at a constant velocity, means for moving. said supporting and pressing members alternately in the direction of and at the same velocity as the movement of said conveying means and then oppositely thereto, and means for relatively moving said pressing and supporting members toward and away from each other at the beginning and end respectively of their movement in the direction of movement of the said conveying means.

31. In a pressing machine, a conveyor adapted to be driven at a constant velocity, means for pressing together parts of laminated material on said conveyor comprising cooperating members mounted for movement toward and away from each other and. disposed at opposite sides of the conveyor, means for moving said members to and fro alternately in the direction of, and opposite to, the movement of the conveyor, and means for operating said members toward and away from each other in synchronism with their movements in the direction of and opposite to the direction of movement of the conveyor respectively.

32. In a pressing machine, the combination of cooperating pressing members, a conveyor disposed between said pressing members, means for operating said conveyor at a constant velocity, means for intermittently relatively moving said pressing members into pressing engagement with said conveyor and a work-piece thereon, and means for moving said members successively in the direction of movement of the conveyor at the same velocity and then oppositely thereto.

33. In a pressing machine, a continuously moving conveyor, a supporting member mounted for movement adjacent to the conveyor at one side thereof in substantially the direction of and opposite to the movement of the conveyor, a pressing member mounted on said supporting member for movement toward and away from the conveyor, means for operating said supporting member successively in the direction of and opposite to the movement of the conveyor, and means for moving said pressing member toward and away from the conveyor respectively.

34. In a pressing machine, in combination, an endless conveyor belt, means for causing said belt to travel at a uniform velocity, cooperating pressing members disposed at opposite sides of one run of said belt and mounted for movement toward and away from each other, means for moving said pressing members alternately in the direction of and opposite to the movement of said run of the belt whereby relative movement between said members and belt occurs intermittently, and means for moving said members into and out of pressing engagement with the belt and a work-piece thereon while there is no relative movement between said belt and members in the direction of movement of the belt.

35. In a pressing machine, the combination of cooperating pressing members adapted to press pieces of laminated material together, a conveyor belt having a substantially straight run extending between said pressing members, said pressing members being mounted to swing to and fro in substantially the direction of movement of said. run, said members also being mounted for relative movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the said run, means for moving said members alternately in the direction of and oppositely to the direction of movement of said run, and means operating in synchronism with said last-mentioned means for causing relative movement of said members toward and away from each other.

36. In a pressing machine, means for pressing parts of laminated material together comprising a supporting member and a pressing member, a conveyor belt having a straight run extending between said members, said members also having plane surfaces and being mounted for movement relatively to each other so that the said surfaces are always parallel to each other and to said straight run of the belt, a mounting for said members constructed and arranged to allow them to swing to and fro with a parallel motion, and means for moving said members alternately into and out of pressing engagement with said belt and a work-piece thereon.

37. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a pressing member, a conveyor belt one run of which extends between said supporting and pressing members and said supporting member being mounted for movement so that its surface adjacent to the belt is maintained parallel thereto, sliding connections between said pressing and supporting members arranged to allow said members to be moved relatively to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to said belt, means for moving said members substantially parallel to the belt, and means for alternately holding said members in pressing engagement with said belt and a work-piece thereon and then holding them apart.

38. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a heated pressing member mounted on said supporting member for movement toward and away therefrom, a conveyor one run of which extends between said supporting and pressing members in juxtaposition to said supporting member and is adapted to carry work-pieces therebetween, operatively connected mechanisms for moving said pressing member into and out of engagement with work-pieces on said conveyor, 10 means for controlling the application of power to one of said mechanisms, and means operated by the last-mentioned means and cooperating with the other of said mechanisms for holding I said pressing member spaced from said conveyor when the power is disconnected:

39. In a pressing machine, a conveyor, a supporting member disposed in juxtaposition to one side of one run thereof, a heated pressing member slidably mounted on said supporting member for movement into and out of pressing engagement with a work-piece on said conveyor, mechanism for operating said pressing member, and operator-controlled means for limiting the movement of said mechanism as the pressing member is moved away from the belt for causing the pressing member to be held in spaced relation therefrom.

40. In a pressing machine, a supporting member, a conveyor belt one run of which is in juxtaposition and parallel to said supporting member,

a heated pressing member mounted on said supporting member for movement into and out of pressing engagement with a work-piece on said belt, means for operating said pressing member comprising yieldingly connected mechanisms, means for controlling the application of power to one of said mechanisms, and a latch arranged to cooperate with the other of said mechanisms when the pressing member is moved away from the supporting member to hold the pressing member out of pressing relation with respect to said belt.

HARRY D. ELLIO'I'I.

THOMAS C. BOWEN. 

